Hog chute



Feb. 12 1924. Y

J. M. RAGSDALE ET AL HOG cnum Filed June 8, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IHVENTDRS Fe. 12 1:924, M8337? J Q w INVENTOR5 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES ATENT ()FFEQE.

JESSE M. RAGSDALE AND DARRYL W. RAGSDALE, 0F HOLDEN, MISSOURI.

HOG CHUTE.

Application filed June 8, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that we, Jesse M. RAGSDALE and DARRYL WV. RAcsoALn, citizens of the United States, residing at Holden, in the county of Johnson and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hog Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to a means for facilitating the ringing of hogs.

The primary object is to produce a device of this character whereby hogs may be properly positioned and held for the ringing operated by a single hand, and also in which a great number of hogs may be ringed in an expeditious manner.

In carrying out our invention it is our purpose to provide a frame in the nature of a chute having hinged doors at both of the open ends thereof and suitable latching means therefor, one of said doors having an opening surrounded by a conical nose piece for a hog, and the bottom of the chute having a longitudinally movable floor which is easily operated when the hog is arranged therein and the door is closed so as to move the animals body to cause the same to project his snout through the nose piece and to permit of the ringing operation by the same hand that actuated the doors and operated the movable floor, the door having the nose piece being then opened to permit of the exit of the hog.

It is also our purpose to produce a hog ringing apparatus of this character wherein the parts may be readily operated and manipulated to permit of a great number of hogs entering one after the other into a chute and be moved longitudinally therein to a position where the snout thereof is projected through a nose piece in a movable door at the end of a chute for the ringing operation, so that a great number of hogs may, in this manner, have nose rings expeditiously applied thereto without laborious efiorts on the part of the operator.

The foregoing objects, and others which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts, such as is dis closed by the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement, looking toward the front thereof.

nose piece in the front door,

Serial No. 387,451.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

' Figure 3 is an approximately central vertical longitudinal sectional view with the rear or tail door lowered.

Figure 4 is a similar sectional'view with both doors closed and the slidable floor moved to bring a hog in a position to cause the latter to project his snout through the the animal be ing indicated by the dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view approximately on the line 55 of Figure 2.

As disclosed by the drawings we make use of a portable chute. The chute includes a base 10 having uprights 11 at the outer edge thereof connected by a top beam or plate 12 and to which the sides 13 are secured. The sides 13 may be in the nature of metal plates, and the top beams or plates 12 at the ends and at the center thereof are connected by transverse strips 14. Thus it will be noted that the chute is open at both of its ends, but the front thereof is designed to be closed by a hinged door 15. The door is held in closed position by latching means such as a hook 16 that is pivotally secured to the door and that engages in an eye 17 in one of the corner uprights. The door 15 has a central round opening 18 there through, and on the outer face of the door,

and surrounding the said opening, there is secured, as at 19 a frusto-conical nose piece 20, and it is through the reduced opening in the outer end of this nose piece that the snouts of the hogs to be ringed are projected, in a manner as will presently be described.

On the longitudinal beams of the base 10 there is a movable floor 21. This floor is of a greater length than that of the base, and hingedly secured, as at 22 adjacent the rear end of the floor is a tail door 23. The lower edge of the front door 15 is arranged above the base 10 a suflicient distance to permit of the floor 21 moving longitudinally therebelow, and the floor is held against vertical movement by longitudinal strips or cleats 24 secured on the inner faces of the sides 13 of the chute.

On the floor, outward of the tail door there is a longitudinal rack 25. Loosely secured to the outer face of the tail door as at 26, is a rod 27. This rod is designed to be swung to engage between the teeth of the rack to hold the tail door in vertical position. The tail door is held against inthe teeth of the rack ward swinging on the floor by contact with the hinge on the door when the tail door .is in closed position, and the tail door is of a size to freely slide between the cleats 24 and the tansverse strips at the top of the chute.

On the under face of the movable floor .21 there is approximately centrally secured a longitudinally extending rack 28.

Journaled transversely between the longitiulinal beams ofthe base 10 is a shaft 29. On this shaft is secured a pinion 30 that meshes with the teeth of the rack 28.

The shaft 29 has one of itsends extending beyond one of the sides of the chute. the said end passing through a bearing 31 and has secured thereon a sprocket Wheel 32.

On the central transverse strip M of the frame of the thute there is a transversely arranged shaft 33. This shaft is journaled in suitable bearings 34 and has on one of its ends a sprocket wheel 35 disposed opposite the sprocket wheel 32. Around the sprocket wheels 35 andv 32 there is trained a sprocket chain 36. On the opposite end of the shaft 33 there is a crank handle 37.

If desired, there may be pivotally secured, as at 38. to one of the sides of the chute on one of the top plates 12, a catch rod 39 that has its free end offset, and this rod may be. brought between two of the teeth of the sprocket wheel 35 to hold the same against movement, and consequently hold the floor 21 against longitudinal movement. This device may be found necessary should the animal arranged between the doors of the chute exert a pressure 1 between the front and rear doors sufficient to influence the floor in a rearward direction.

The operation of the device may be briefly described as follows The front door 15 is swung closed and latched, while the hit-ll/(lOOI' is swung open upon the movable floor. The operator who arranges the hogs, causes a hog to enter the chute through the rear door. When the hog is arranged in the chute he swings the tail door 23 to its closed position and locks the same by arranging the rod 27 between He then operates the shafts by turning the handle 37 to cause the floor on which the animal is received to move longitudinally to bring the snout of the animal through the opening in the front door and through the conical nose piece that surrounds the openin hen in such position, the device may be latched by the catch'member 39, but ordinarily such latching is not necessary. The operator now applies the ring to the projecting snout of the animal in the usual manner. After the animal has been ringed. the front door is opened to permit of the animal passing through the front of the chute. The front door is then closed and again latched. The floor is moved rearwardly by again operating the shafts through the medium of the crank handle 37, and the rear or tail door is again swung to open position. A. second hog is then made to enter the trough, the tail door closed and the hog ringed as above described, and it will be thus noted that a great number of hogs may be ringed in an easy, quick andexpeditious manner by a single hand. It will also be noted that the device is adaptable to accommodate hogs of varying sizes by lllOVlllQillG floor. until the distance between the front and rear doors properly accommodates such different sizes of animals, and it is also believed that the simplicity of the construction, .the cheapness at which it may be manufactured, and its utility and advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in the art to which such inventions relate without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim, is:

A hog chute of the character described comprising a portable frame including a door sa-ured to the front of the frame, said door being provided with a centrally disposed round opening, a frusto-conical nose piece having open ends projecting from the outer edges of the opening, a movable floor of greater length than the sides and the top of the frame. a tail board hingedly secured to the floor adjacent its rear end, a rod pivotally secured to the tail board and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a rack bar secured to the floor and being longitudinally arranged in the path of the rod for engagement therewith to hold the tail board in operative position, and means for moving the floor horizontally and a catch rod pivotally secured to the frame and being adapted to engage the floor moving means as and for the purpose specified.

in testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

JESSE M. RAGSDALE. DARRYL W. RAGSDALE. 

